Dung Feeders

124 species with this diet

Coleoptera

African Dung Beetle

Scarabaeus rugosus

A medium-sized, roughly textured black roller beetle found in southern African sandy habitats. It has prominent teeth on...

Coleoptera

African Hide Beetle

Trox sabulosus

A small, rough-textured beetle covered in soil particles and debris that provide excellent camouflage. Its elytra have r...

Coleoptera

Alpine Dung Beetle

Geotrupes alpinus

A sturdy, dark dung beetle of high-altitude pastures grazed by livestock. It buries dung underground where its larvae de...

Coleoptera

Amazonian Scarab

Phanaeus chalcomelas

A strikingly colorful dung beetle with metallic green, copper, and blue hues. Males have a prominent curved horn on the ...

Coleoptera

Asian Atlas Dung Beetle

Catharsius pithecius

A large black tunneling dung beetle from Southeast Asia with two stout pronotal horns in males. It rapidly constructs de...

Coleoptera

Atlas Scarab

Scarabaeus atlas

A large, matte black roller dung beetle with a broad, shield-like head. It is closely related to the sacred scarab and i...

Coleoptera

Australian Horned Dung Beetle

Onthophagus australis

A small brown tunneling dung beetle native to Australia with minor horns in males. It was one of the first dung beetle s...

Coleoptera

Autumn Aphodius

Aphodius autumnalis

A small, dark reddish-brown dweller dung beetle that is most active in autumn. It has a shiny, rounded body with finely ...

Coleoptera

Binodis Dung Beetle

Onthophagus binodis

A small, brown-black tunneling dung beetle with two small nodules on the male head. It was introduced to Australia from ...

Coleoptera

Black Aphodius

Aphodius fimetarius

A small dweller dung beetle with a black head and pronotum and reddish-brown elytra. It lives directly within dung pats ...

Coleoptera

Black Dung Beetle

Copris lunaris

A robust black dung beetle found across Europe and parts of Asia. Males bear a single curved horn on the head and exhibi...

Coleoptera

Blackburn Earth-Boring Beetle

Blackburnium reichei

A small, globular earth-boring dung beetle with a dark brown to black body. Endemic to Australia, it processes marsupial...

Lepidoptera

Blue Nawab

Polyura schreiber

A powerful and fast-flying butterfly with a pale bluish-white upper surface and intricate brown and orange undersides. I...

Lepidoptera

Blue-frosted Banner

Catonephele numilia

A sexually dimorphic butterfly where males are velvety black with bright orange bands and females are dark brown with ye...

Coleoptera

Bolboceras Dung Beetle

Bolboceras armiger

A stout, rounded earth-boring beetle with a yellowish-brown body and a prominent horn on the male head. It digs deep bur...

Coleoptera

Bright Green Canthon

Canthon virens

A small, vivid metallic green roller dung beetle found in Brazil and neighboring countries. Its bright coloring is unusu...

Coleoptera

Broad-Horned Onitis

Onitis caffer

A large, dark brown to black tunneler with massive forelegs in males. The prothorax is greatly enlarged. It digs deep ve...

Coleoptera

Broad-Toothed Scarab

Scarabaeus laticollis

A medium-sized, glossy black roller dung beetle with a broad pronotum and strong clypeal teeth. Common across Mediterran...

Lepidoptera

Brutus Charaxes

Charaxes brutus

A large and powerful butterfly with black and white banding on the upper wings and intricate reddish-brown patterns bene...

Diptera

Bush Fly

Musca vetustissima

Australia's most iconic nuisance fly, swarming around faces to feed on moisture. It breeds in cattle dung across the Aus...

Coleoptera

Cicatricosus Scarab

Scarabaeus cicatricosus

A medium-sized dark roller with a rough, pitted exoskeleton that gives it a scarred appearance. It inhabits coastal sand...

Lepidoptera

Common Euphaedra

Euphaedra medon

A forest-dwelling butterfly with deep orange-brown wings and distinctive blue-purple iridescent bands. It is one of the ...

Coleoptera

Coppery Tunneler

Onthophagus ferox

A small, coppery-brown tunneling dung beetle native to Africa, now established in Australia. Males have a pair of backwa...

Lepidoptera

Cruiser Butterfly

Vindula dejone

A large butterfly with warm orange wings marked with black spots and lines. Males are bright tawny-orange while females ...

Coleoptera

Daffodil Aphodius

Aphodius fossor

A large, entirely shiny black dweller dung beetle with a convex, robust body. Despite being classified as a dweller, it ...

Coleoptera

Delta Dung Beetle

Deltochilum orbiculare

A matte black roller dung beetle with a rounded body and distinctively flattened outer edges of the elytra. It rolls dun...

Lepidoptera

Demon Charaxes

Charaxes lucretius

A large forest Charaxes with deep black upperside marked with blue iridescence in males. Females are larger and browner....

Blattodea

Desert Termite

Gnathamitermes tubiformans

A subterranean termite that builds mud tubes over dead grass and cow dung in desert environments. It plays a critical ro...

Coleoptera

Dichotomius Dung Beetle

Dichotomius carolinus

A large, robust black tunneling dung beetle with a distinctive bifurcate (forked) horn in males. Females have a transver...

Coleoptera

Digitonthophagus Dung Beetle

Digitonthophagus gazella

A small to medium, tan to brown tunneling dung beetle originally from Africa, now among the most widely distributed dung...

Coleoptera

Dung Beetle

Scarabaeus sacer

Sacred to ancient Egyptians who associated them with the sun god Ra. They roll balls of dung for food and breeding. Navi...

Coleoptera

Dung Beetle (Rainbow)

Phanaeus vindex

One of the most beautiful dung beetles with iridescent metallic copper, green, and blue coloring. Males have a prominent...

Coleoptera

Dung Beetle Navigator

Scarabaeus lamarcki

A medium-sized dung beetle from South Africa that navigates using celestial cues. It has been a key species in understan...

Coleoptera

Dung Roller Beetle

Kheper nigroaeneus

A large dung beetle that navigates using the Milky Way to roll balls in straight lines....

Coleoptera

Dung-loving Rove Beetle

Philonthus marginatus

A medium-sized, shiny black rove beetle with distinctly margined elytra found commonly in dung and compost. It is one of...

Coleoptera

Eastern Forest Dung Beetle

Onthophagus hecate

A small, dark brown to black tunneling dung beetle common in eastern North American forests. Males have a short median h...

Coleoptera

Elephant Dung Beetle

Heliocopris dilloni

A very large black dung beetle that specializes in elephant dung. Males have a prominent curved horn on the thorax....

Diptera

Farmyard Midge

Culicoides nubeculosus

A tiny biting midge that breeds in mud contaminated by dung or sewage. Adults suck blood from horses and cattle. Can tra...

Coleoptera

Femoralis Dung Beetle

Pachylomerus femoralis

The largest African roller dung beetle, with a stout black body and massively thickened hind femora. It can roll dung ba...

Coleoptera

Flat-Headed Dung Beetle

Paragymnopleurus maurus

A medium-sized shiny black roller dung beetle with a distinctively flat clypeal margin. It is highly active during the d...

Coleoptera

Flat-Horned Dung Beetle

Onthophagus planicornis

A small, dark tunneling dung beetle with laterally flattened horns in major males. Found in tropical Africa, it is a rap...

Coleoptera

Flightless Dung Beetle

Circellium bacchus

The largest flightless dung beetle in the world, endemic to South Africa. It is now restricted to a few remaining habita...

Coleoptera

Fluted-horn Dung Beetle

Copris elphenor

A large black dung beetle with a prominent curved horn on the male's head. It buries dung balls underground to provision...

Coleoptera

Forest Roller

Canthon quinquemaculatus

A small, dark roller dung beetle with five pale spots on the elytra. Found in South American forests, it is diurnal and ...

Coleoptera

Four-spotted Dung Beetle

Helictopleurus quadripunctatus

A medium-sized dung beetle with four distinctive pale spots on its dark elytra. It is one of the few Helictopleurus spec...

Coleoptera

Four-Spotted Hister Beetle

Hister quadrimaculatus

A glossy black hister beetle with four orange-red spots on its wing cases. It is associated with mammal dung in pastures...

Lepidoptera

Freyer's Purple Emperor

Apatura metis

A large, powerful butterfly closely related to the purple emperor but restricted to river valleys. Males display a brill...

Coleoptera

Fungicola Dung Beetle

Helictopleurus fungicola

A small dung beetle with an extraordinary pair of cephalic horns in males, revealed through genomic and morphological st...

Coleoptera

Gazelle Scarab

Onthophagus gazella

A small dung beetle originally from Africa, now established across multiple continents. It is one of the most widely int...

Coleoptera

Giant African Dung Roller

Scarabaeus ambiguus

A large, robust matte black roller dung beetle found in East African grasslands. It has powerful clypeal teeth for cutti...

Coleoptera

Giant Dung Beetle

Helictopleurus giganteus

The largest member of the endemic Helictopleurus genus, with a robust body and prominent cephalic horns in males. Its da...

Coleoptera

Giant Gymnopleurus

Gymnopleurus virens

A medium-sized roller dung beetle with a coppery-green sheen and a nearly spherical body shape. It is a rapid roller, mo...

Coleoptera

Giant Neotropical Ball Roller

Canthon aequinoctialis

A medium-sized, matte black roller dung beetle common in Central and South American forests. It is one of the most abund...

Coleoptera

Gigas Dung Beetle

Heliocopris gigas

A massive glossy black tunneling dung beetle with powerful digging forelegs. Males have a broad cephalic horn. This spec...

Coleoptera

Gilded Roller

Kheper aegyptiorum

A large, metallic dark green to copper roller dung beetle found across African savannas. Males compete fiercely for poss...

Lepidoptera

Goatweed Leafwing

Anaea andria

A bright orange butterfly whose angular wing shape and mottled brown underside create a perfect dead-leaf disguise when ...

Coleoptera

Golden Rove Beetle

Platydracus stercorarius

A striking rove beetle with dense golden setae covering its pronotum and elytra, giving it a shimmering appearance. It i...

Coleoptera

Goliath Beetle

Goliathus goliatus

One of the heaviest insects on Earth. Males have a Y-shaped horn on the head. Larvae can weigh up to 100 grams and requi...

Lepidoptera

Great Nawab

Polyura eudamippus

A large and powerful butterfly with pale green-white uppersides and richly marked brown and olive undersides. The hindwi...

Lepidoptera

Great Purple Emperor

Sasakia charonda

Japan's national butterfly, known as 'o-murasaki' in Japanese. Males display a stunning purple iridescence on their wing...

Coleoptera

Green Grooved Dung Beetle

Phanaeus difformis

A metallic green and copper tunneling dung beetle with a prominent male horn that is slightly offset to one side. The pr...

Coleoptera

Green Metallic Tunneler

Onitis alexis

A medium-sized tunneling dung beetle with a metallic green pronotum and dark brown elytra. Males have an enlarged protho...

Lepidoptera

Green-veined Charaxes

Charaxes candiope

A large charaxes with orange upperwings and distinctive green-veined underwings. It is common along forested rivers and ...

Coleoptera

Horned Dung Beetle

Onthophagus taurus

The strongest insect on Earth relative to body size — can pull 1,141 times its own body weight. Males have curved horns ...

Coleoptera

Igneus Rainbow Scarab

Phanaeus igneus

A brilliantly metallic green, blue, and red tunneling dung beetle of the southeastern United States. Males have a long, ...

Coleoptera

Ivory-Spotted Dung Beetle

Euoniticellus pallipes

A small, pale brown tunneling dung beetle with ivory-colored legs. Native to Africa, it has been introduced to several c...

Coleoptera

Japanese Dung Beetle

Copris pecuarius

A tunneling dung beetle found in Japan and Korea that provisions underground brood chambers with dung balls. Males have ...

Hemiptera

Kissing Bug

Rhodnius prolixus

The principal vector of Chagas disease in Latin America. Named because it bites sleeping humans near the mouth and eyes,...

Coleoptera

Lamarcks Sacred Scarab

Kheper lamarcki

A large glossy black dung beetle with subtle purple and green iridescence. It constructs large brood balls from elephant...

Coleoptera

Lined Rove Beetle

Tachinus signatus

A medium-sized rove beetle with distinctly patterned elytra bearing lighter margins. It is commonly found in fungal habi...

Coleoptera

Littoral Dung Beetle

Helictopleurus littoralis

A dung beetle adapted to coastal and lowland environments, distinguished from forest relatives by its slightly flatter b...

Coleoptera

Malagasy Dung Beetle

Helictopleurus neoamplicollis

A medium-sized, dark-bodied tunneling dung beetle endemic to Madagascar. Males have pronotal ridges. It processes lemur ...

Coleoptera

Malagasy Peyrieras's Dung Beetle

Helictopleurus peyrierasi

A small to medium forest dung beetle named after the Malagasy naturalist Andre Peyrieras. It has a dark, heavily sculptu...

Coleoptera

Malagasy Scarab

Scarabaeus radama

A robust dung-rolling scarab beetle named after the Malagasy king Radama. It has a broad, rounded body with a dark metal...

Coleoptera

Marsyas Dung Beetle

Helictopleurus marsyas

A compact, dark-bodied dung beetle that has transitioned from forest to open habitats. It has a smooth, rounded pronotum...

Coleoptera

Mexican Dung Beetle

Phanaeus mexicanus

A large, metallic green and coppery tunneling dung beetle found from Mexico to Central America. Males have a robust, bac...

Coleoptera

Minotaur Beetle

Typhaeus typhoeus

A robust, black beetle where males sport three forward-pointing horns on the thorax. It buries rabbit dung in deep under...

Coleoptera

Molossus Scarab

Catharsius molossus

A large, robust black tunneling dung beetle found across South and Southeast Asia. Males have a prominent curved horn on...

Coleoptera

Moon-Horned Dung Beetle

Oxysternon festivum

A large, dark metallic green or black tunneler with a distinctive crescent-shaped pronotal horn in males. The underside ...

Lepidoptera

Naga Nawab Butterfly

Polyura nepenthes

A powerful fast-flying butterfly with green-washed wings and short tails on the hindwings. It is drawn to rotting fruit ...

Coleoptera

Neotropical Scarab Beetle

Coprophanaeus lancifer

The largest dung beetle in the Americas with a striking metallic blue-black body. Males bear a long curved horn on the h...

Diptera

Noon Fly

Mesembrina meridiana

A large stocky black fly with bright orange wing bases. It basks in sunshine on walls and fences at midday....

Coleoptera

Nordic Dor Beetle

Geotrupes stercorarius

A large, rounded, metallic blue-black dung beetle with ridged elytra. Adults dig deep burrows beneath animal dung for eg...

Coleoptera

Pecuarius Onitis

Onitis pecuarius

A medium-sized, dark brown to black tunneling dung beetle with strong forelegs. It is a nocturnal species that construct...

Lepidoptera

Poplar Admiral

Limenitis populi

Europe's largest nymphalid butterfly with broad dark wings bearing white bands and orange submarginal crescents. It is s...

Coleoptera

Proagoderus Dung Beetle

Proagoderus tersidorsis

A medium-sized, dark metallic tunneling dung beetle with elaborate pronotal horns in major males. Found in African savan...

Coleoptera

Red-Shouldered Aphodius

Aphodius rufipes

A medium-sized dweller dung beetle that is entirely black except for reddish-brown leg joints. It is strongly attracted ...

Diptera

Red-tailed Flesh Fly

Sarcophaga haemorrhoidalis

A large gray flesh fly with a distinctive red-tipped abdomen. It deposits live larvae on meat, wounds, and feces....

Coleoptera

Rhinoceros Dung Beetle

Heliocopris dominus

A large nocturnal dung beetle found in the forests of Southeast Asia. It constructs enormous brood balls from elephant d...

Coleoptera

Rough-collared Dung Beetle

Helictopleurus rudicollis

An exclusively forest-dwelling dung beetle with a rough, heavily punctured pronotum that gives it its name. It is dark b...

Coleoptera

Ruby-Legged Dung Beetle

Onthophagus medius

A small, dark bronze tunneling dung beetle with reddish-brown legs found in parts of Africa and Asia. Males have a pair ...

Coleoptera

Sagittarius Dung Beetle

Onthophagus sagittarius

A medium-sized dark brown tunneler with a distinctive arrow-shaped projection on the male head. It was introduced to Aus...

Coleoptera

Saphirinus Dung Beetle

Coprophanaeus saphirinus

A stunning metallic sapphire-blue tunneling dung beetle with brilliant iridescence. Males have a prominent horn. It is o...

Coleoptera

Satanas Dung Beetle

Dichotomius satanas

A large, pitch-black tunneling dung beetle with a deeply forked cephalic horn in males that gives it a devilish appearan...

Coleoptera

Sculptured Rove Beetle

Oxytelus sculptus

A tiny dung-associated rove beetle with a distinctly sculptured thorax and short elytra. It has become nearly cosmopolit...

Coleoptera

Shaggy Rove Beetle

Emus hirtus

A spectacular, large rove beetle covered in dense black and yellow fur-like pubescence, resembling a bumblebee. It is as...

Coleoptera

Sicardi's Dung Beetle

Helictopleurus sicardi

A compact forest dung beetle with a glossy black body and strongly punctured elytra. Males have a small but distinct cep...

Coleoptera

Silenus Oxysternon

Oxysternon silenus

A large, robust dark green to black tunneling dung beetle with a broad thorax and powerful forelegs. Males bear a cephal...

Coleoptera

Sinuate-horned Dung Beetle

Helictopleurus sinuatocornis

A medium-sized dung beetle named for the sinuate or wavy shape of the male's cephalic horn. Its body is dark brown with ...

Coleoptera

Sisyphus Dung Beetle

Sisyphus schaefferi

A small, black roller dung beetle with very long, slender hind legs adapted for ball rolling. Named after the mythologic...

Coleoptera

Small Australian Tunneler

Onthophagus parvus

A tiny, brown tunneling dung beetle native to Australia. It is one of the few native Australian species adapted to proce...

Coleoptera

Smooth Hister Beetle

Margarinotus striola

A compact, highly polished black beetle with fine elytral striations. It is one of the most common dung-dwelling hister ...

Coleoptera

Sordid Dung Beetle

Aphodius sordidus

A small, dark brown to black dweller dung beetle with yellowish-brown elytral margins. It is a cosmopolitan species foun...

Coleoptera

South American Dung Beetle

Oxysternon conspicillatum

A metallic green and copper dung beetle common in Amazonian forests. Males have a distinctive curved horn on the head....

Coleoptera

Spanish Copris

Copris hispanus

A large shiny black dung beetle with a single curved horn on the males head. It constructs elaborate underground brood c...

Coleoptera

Spring Dor Beetle

Geotrupes vernalis

A medium-sized, metallic blue-green to violet dung beetle active in spring. Unlike other dor beetles, the metallic color...

Coleoptera

Stag-Horned Dung Beetle

Onthophagus rangifer

A small, dark brown tunneling dung beetle with spectacularly branched antler-like horns in major males. The branching ho...

Coleoptera

Striped Dung Beetle

Paragymnopleurus striatus

A small to medium roller dung beetle with faint longitudinal striations on the elytra. It is black with a slightly conve...

Diptera

Sweat Fly

Hydrotaea irritans

A small dark fly attracted to perspiration on humans and livestock. It forms dense head-circling swarms in summer that c...

Coleoptera

Sylvicola Tunneler

Ontherus sulcator

A medium-sized, black tunneling dung beetle with deep longitudinal furrows on the elytra. Males have a short, broad ceph...

Lepidoptera

Tawny Emperor

Asterocampa clyton

A warm tawny-brown butterfly with dark bars and a row of small eyespots on the hindwing. Unlike most butterflies, it rar...

Psocoptera

Tropical Warehouse Psocid

Liposcelis corrodens

A small wingless booklouse found in food stores throughout the tropics. It contaminates stored food with body fragments ...

Coleoptera

Two-Horned Oxysternon

Oxysternon durum

A large, dark metallic green tunneling dung beetle with two prominent pronotal projections in males. The clypeus has a d...

Coleoptera

Two-Spotted Dung Beetle

Onthophagus nuchicornis

A small, mottled brown and yellow tunneling dung beetle with two dark spots on the pronotum. Males have a single backwar...

Coleoptera

Vacca Dung Beetle

Onthophagus vacca

A small coppery-green to bronze tunneler with a broad head and short horns in males. It is a common pasture dung beetle ...

Coleoptera

Variable Dung Beetle

Onthophagus fracticornis

A small, highly variable tunneling dung beetle found across Europe. Coloration ranges from pale brown to nearly black wi...

Lepidoptera

Viceroy Butterfly

Limenitis archippus

Orange and black wings resembling the Monarch but with a black postmedian line across the hindwings. Once thought to be ...

Coleoptera

Violet Dung Beetle

Oniticellus planatus

A small, distinctive dung beetle with a flattened body and yellowish elytra marked with dark spots. Despite being in the...

Coleoptera

Watanabe Dung Beetle

Onthophagus watanabei

A small, brown tunneling dung beetle from Southeast Asian forests with distinctively elongated curved horns in major mal...

Coleoptera

Wide-Headed Dung Beetle

Onthophagus nigriventris

A small, greenish-bronze tunneling dung beetle from East Africa with a very wide head in major males. The broad head is ...

Coleoptera

Wide-Horned Scarab

Euoniticellus intermedius

A small, yellow-brown tunneling dung beetle with dark markings on the pronotum. Males have two short broad horns. It is ...

Coleoptera

Woodland Dor Beetle

Anoplotrupes stercorosus

A medium-sized, convex dung beetle with a steel-blue or black dorsal surface and metallic blue-violet underside. Common ...

Coleoptera

Wrinkled Rove Beetle

Oxytelus rugosus

A small, flattened rove beetle with a heavily sculptured pronotum bearing deep longitudinal furrows. It is one of the mo...

Coleoptera

Zambesianus Scarab

Scarabaeus zambesianus

A nocturnal African roller dung beetle with a smooth, dark body. It was the first animal proven to use polarized light f...